Arrow of Fate
by Crazy Foxie
Summary: To the rest of the Allied Army, the journey to the Ice Shrine was nothing special. They would recall their frozen bodies, the endless snow, the fog and the assassins within it. To Jeorge, it was a memory that he would engrave in his heart and there it would remain until the end of his days.


**\- Arrow of Fate -**

Although my title as the 'greatest sniper on the continent' was all but an elaborate lie, I couldn't deny that I had undergone extensive training to get to where I was. Unlike any other weapon, the bow and arrow was at the mercy of the elements. It wasn't just a case of aim and fire; it had to consider wind speed, weather conditions, distance and, if the target was moving, anticipation of where and when to shoot.

A single arrow could determine the kill. If misplaced, it exposed the shooter's location instantly or worse yet, the presence of an entire army in a failed surprise attack.

It was a long time ago, but I had trained in the same heavy snow that stretched out on all sides. I hadn't known it to be en route to the Ice Shrine at the time, but for the sake of liberation of the Akaneian Continent, I had found myself reunited with the harsh winds once more. My resolve had been trained somewhat to endure the numbness in my fingers, and I distinctly recalled how difficult it was to aim in such severe conditions.

I pulled my tartan scarf closer to my mouth so that each exhale brought some warmth back to my face. This particular entourage was a very particular subset of the army, and I could understand why Prince Marth had hand-picked each one of them.

"Company, listen up." The army slowed down as Prince Marth trudged to the front. Even in this fast-falling snow, he still managed to demand respect merely by speaking up. "The conditions aren't in our favour, so we need to act swiftly. Athena has reunited with us and, rather worryingly, has sighted ballistae. Cover as much ground and take them out first. We don't know how many are out there, but it's safe to assume that they're going to be more trained to see us than us them."

Hit-and-run tactics were reckless, but Prince Marth had deemed the terrain too severe for clerics and the main reason why the bags of every soldier here was heavy with medicine. No doubt Prince Marth thought it the safer method even before the report. Ogma seemed equally concerned, for he folded his arms with a big frown. "That I agree with. The enemy's going to be straight ahead, so I suggest split into three groups and fan out."

Prince Marth nodded firmly. "I want the centre group to have each flank in sight. If any of the other groups are struggling, someone can be sent out as reinforcement. Ogma, I'll entrust this group to you."

I smiled inwardly. Save for his own guards, Prince Marth trusted Ogma more than anyone and it was a given that he would be assigned a group.

"I will take the right flank," Prince Marth continued. "Chris, I'll leave you with the left."

She was one of the newest members of the entourage, but rather curiously, Prince Marth had thought Chris was capable enough to be with the veterans on this mission. Her lips pursed as the bitter wind robbed her of her answer of affirmation. Instead she managed a stiff nod.

The teams thereafter were decided quickly. Admittedly, I was surprised that Prince Marth wanted me to accompany his group, and I took him up on the offer with pride. When I asked him later about his decision, he had simply smiled and said, "I need someone I can trust to watch my back".

We all went our separate ways, our group branching off to the right with Ogma still in our view. The horses struggled in the snow, but the foot soldiers even more so. Each breath was dedicated to making progress, and conversation was close to non-existent.

Perhaps it was a combination of the elements and the fact no one was used to it was the reason why my comrades weren't as observant as they normally were. It was because of my lack of confidence in the others and Prince Marth's comment that I saw it as my duty to indeed watch his back.

I hastened my footsteps to catch up to the prince. "If you don't mind, there's something I want to check out." Prince Marth, unsurprisingly, was not keen for me to go alone. He opened his mouth to protest, but this was something I couldn't drag other people into. "Call it a sniper's intuition, but I'd rather check it myself. I'm familiar with the terrain, and I won't put myself in danger. You have nothing to worry about," I reassured.

It took a lot for Prince Marth to give me the go-ahead, but we both knew it was for the best. "If things do get problematic, make sure you find your way back so we can support you."

I lowered my head in acknowledgement before I retraced my steps. I pretended not to see Frey pull a curious face at my exit. I could only think of the glisten that I had seen within the trees. It was brief, and it would have been all too easy to discard it, but it was hazards like that that jeopardised an entire operation. If it really was nothing, I had to ascertain it.

By the height and what light the sun could touch through the fog, I was convinced it was a weapon of sorts. An ambush from behind was bad, but an ambush from an enemy archer was lethal. I didn't want to cause unnecessary panic, and I was glad that Prince Marth hadn't pressed me for details.

It didn't take long for the sounds of the army to be entirely engulfed by the wind. I veered off the tracks that we had made so far, and with that the army itself soon disappeared from my view. The branches hung lower at this part of the forest, and there was very little flat terrain I could walk on. Even though the snow was so thick, my feet rarely made contact with anything other than tree roots buried under the white blanket.

The atmosphere was eerie, and at some points I could almost hear the laughter as the fierce wind blew through the branches. I took out an arrow slowly, nocking it by the same in preparation for the worst. It made it harder for me to maintain my balance, but like Prince Marth had said, the assassins already had the upper hand. I couldn't afford to be caught unawares.

I didn't think I was anywhere near where I had seen the glisten, but there were fresh breaks in the snow where someone had been. It was too large to be a rabbit, and as I compared it to my own trail, it was definitely human and there was only one. The snow made it difficult for me to gauge their stature, and they had purposefully dragged their feet to distort the footprints. An ambush couldn't be carried out by one soldier; this was the strategy of an archer, hoping to shoot Prince Marth at the best possible moment. I couldn't tell whether the perpetrator was nearby, but I listened out for the slightest movement as I scoured the surroundings. In conditions like this, I couldn't rely on just one sense. More importantly, it was about sensing the enemy from sheer adrenaline, and I could feel that they were close. Much like how I wanted to settle it, they too wanted to eliminate me to continue with their covert mission without a hitch.

I double checked that my arrow was as ready as I was going to be. If they got the first shot, it would surely seal my fate. If that happened, I wouldn't be able to fulfil my promise to Prince Marth. I either had to depend on a failed first shot from them, which would instantly give away their location, or I shoot them first.

There wasn't much point in moving from where I was. They were nearly upon me, and if I made any movement, I would only be hindered by the snow and that would make me an easy target. I had to count on the second option.

It didn't take them long to find me, and I pretended not to see her as I inspected each tree on the horizon. She was wearing dark clothes to hide behind the trunks, but her golden locks, although light in colour, stood out from the snow. She was a considerable distance away, but that wasn't enough for me not to see the large bow.

A bow that size meant sniper class, and I was relieved that I went with my hunch to check this out. No one else in the army stood a chance, and I had to make sure I succeeded. I flexed my fingers on Parthia to try and get some feeling back in them. I still had the element of surprise, but I had to aim and shoot before she did. I was fortunate that I had managed to take the Holy Regalia of Akaneia with me. It was deemed more capable than any other bow, and for good reason.

I took a deep breath, raised my weapon and released my first arrow. I misread the wind speed slightly, and although I could hear a cry of surprise, I knew I hadn't hit a vital spot. There was no time to dwell on my missed shot, and as I reached for my next arrow, she too didn't want to give up.

I took my next shot with an arrow in my leg, and even through the excruciating pain, I bit down on my lip to make sure she didn't know she got me. Fleeing would be impossible now, but so long as I had the smallest window of time to consider the elements, my next shot wouldn't fail.

There was an agonised scream and the faint sound of something hitting snow with full force. The wind was still roaring in my ears, but I could see that she wasn't standing upright anymore. She was still alive, that much I could see. I had to make sure that she didn't go after Prince Marth, and that our duel was well and truly done. There was a sense of relief the battle was done, yet I was almost disappointed it had finished as soon as it started.

I couldn't deny that I was slightly curious, and I wanted to see my opponent up close. It was hard to wield a silver bow, and I hadn't come across many whilst travelling the continent.

I limped my way to the assassin (perhaps hobbled was a better word), the arrow still embedded in my thigh. It caused me a great deal of discomfort and my legs in general were numb from walking through snow, but I knew better than to remove it.

As I approached the assassin, I could see that my last shot had hit her on the right side of her chest, puncturing a lung in its flight. She was breathing heavily, her sharp exhales coming out as puffs of air beneath the stretch of long blonde hair.

She glared up at me before I could say anything, and as her eyes locked with mine, I could see nothing but fury. "What are you waiting for?"

Her tone was fierce and demanding, and it didn't suit her rather fair complexion. Her cheeks were a deep shade of red from the cold, yet she wasn't shivering like I was. One hand was firmly on her bow, however both were deep in the snow and she didn't have the strength to bring it up.

I watched as several drops of blood fell to the white terrain. I noticed that some of her hair had caught some of the blood as well.

When I looked at her face again, there was something undeniably familiar. It was a strange notion to have, and everything was slowly falling into place. I could vaguely remember the look she was giving me now, but I recalled it more from the paintings. Her cheeks had lost their roundness and her attitude has hardened, but her eyes remained the same.

I didn't raise my bow. A long time ago I had failed her. As each second passed by, I knew who I was looking at. "Arielle?"

She didn't seem bothered, but she knew better than to show weaker emotions like confusion to a stranger. "It's Kleine, actually."

I nodded. I should have realised that all those years in an assassin's guild would surely erase all recollection of her previous life. She didn't know the circumstances in which she was taken away, nor what damage her disappearance had caused. It wasn't her fault, far from it, but as I looked at my younger sister, I didn't want to burden her with the whole truth.

"I apologise, I must have been mistaken." I winced as I sat down next to her. I could feel her anger as I set Parthia on the snow. "I've been looking for Arielle for a long time. She was taken from me about fifteen years ago. I don't have any clues, but I won't give up until I've found her."

Kleine didn't say anything, and I was fully aware that she really didn't want to have this conversation. I had no intention of killing her, and she needed time to accept that.

"I don't suppose you know about the House of Menidy?" Again there was no reply. "They're one of the five main houses that directly report to the Akaneian Royal Family. I am one of the few left, and technically the true Marquess after my father died just before the War of Shadows. My distant uncle has since taken over the House. I prefer to go by Jeorge alone though."

"Jeorge...I've heard of you," Kleine said slowly, and I was relieved that she was now engaging with me. "You're apparently the best sniper there is."

I laughed softly. "'Best' is such a fanciful term. You know as well as I do it's not all about technique. My father was an arrogant man, and where he had nothing to contribute, he used me to boost my family's reputation." I looked across at her. "Your skill isn't one to underestimate."

Kleine scowled. "It wasn't enough for the kill. If it was, you'd be too dead to talk."

"True."

But then if it had, I too wouldn't have finally seen my sister all these years. Although Kleine hadn't confirmed that she was who I thought she was, I could see my father's fierce eyes in her, set in the same shaped face as my mother. Felicity, my older sister, was approaching twenty-one when she died. She had a great number of suitors and rarely had a smile for them, mainly because they were only interested in status. I could see that same stoic behaviour in Arielle. Her appearance loosely resembled Felicity, but age alone enunciated the dangerous beauty.

We didn't speak for a while, both silently stewing in our wounds. I was certain that our respective allies were fighting hard, but I couldn't hear anything except Kleine's laboured breaths. I wasn't worried about getting found out; in fact, it was the contrary. I simply wanted to remain here for as long as it took for her to come around.

Kleine finally gave a small wince as she sat up. "Tell me about her."

I had not expected our reunion to be like this, but I was certainly prepared to recount every small detail of our childhood. "She was a bit of a handful, to be completely honest. My older sister and I always had to keep a firm eye on her as she was a bit too rebellious for her own good. The only way to really get her to settle down was to sit on the windowsill, me on one side, Fliss on the other."

I remember that windowsill well. It was directly opposite the dining room, and had a perfect view of the long table ahead. The corridor stretched out on each side, lined with tapestries and busts of important figureheads of Akaneian history. Felicity and I cocooned Arielle from the world she didn't want to be part of, protecting her from the maids that went past and the scowls of our father. I'd lean my head on hers, and Felicity on mine. We often fell asleep there with the summer sun warming our backs.

In winter, we took to the fireplace in the library. It was always started early in the morning to keep the large house warm, and the three of us would pour over literature of both fiction and etiquette.

"The aristocratic life did not suit her, and she fought tooth and nail against all the odds." Sometimes I had wondered whether she was purposefully bad-behaved to avoid the lifestyle altogether. Fliss was the oldest, I was the one who would run the household. Arielle was merely a tribute to the leering noblemen, and she knew that.

Kleine furrowed her eyebrows. "What makes you think that she was abducted? She could have run away."

"No, the entire thing was set up," I was quick to reply. "I was returning late from some function with my father. In retrospect, considering the price we paid for it, it meant absolutely nothing at all. When we came back to the house, and it was ablaze. Father went in, I went for help." Father had sustained serious burns from that night. It was proof that he searched in the face of danger for his family. It didn't prove that he cared for them. "My mother was already dead, and I found Felicity, my other sister, some distance from the house. I expect the bandits had thought she was too much trouble, and it was better to dispose of her then."

Although the House of Menidy had taken a massive hit, I didn't want to mention to Kleine exactly what my father was like. He had lost his wife and two daughters, yet he showed no concern about that. He was simply worried about all the money that had been stolen. He used his family's death to pry riches from the other nobles, and he mentioned to me once in passing that he was glad I was still around to succeed. We never truly got on, but after that day, it was difficult for me to be in the same room as him.

"We never received a ransom for her return. My father didn't see it appropriate to send out search parties, so I travelled and looked myself," I continued. Father would never consent to blackmail, but I returned home from time to time just in case anything came in which he otherwise wouldn't have informed me of. "Other children had gone missing in Akaneia, both before and after the event, but I wasn't able to find anything conclusive. They were mostly lower class families, and it never reached the ears of the nobles. They were after Arielle for a specific reason, and they were willing to risk everything for it."

I sighed as I stole a look at her buried bow. The Menidy family had always prided itself on education, and they had a peculiar affinity towards archery. Like many before me, Parthia was meant to be handled by the Menidy family. Was Kleine no exception? A part of me wanted her to try. I hadn't been with her whilst she was growing up, but while we were both here, there was every chance of a future.

"But that's enough about me. The pair of us won't last long if we stay here." I bit down on my lip as I delved into my satchel. The vulneraries within its folds clinked with each other, but I withdrew a small roll of bandage instead. "Parthia's arrows are special. If you don't take them out, you'll survive. Do you have any comrades specialising in healing magic?"

Kleine wrinkled her nose in disgust as I set the roll beside her. She was going to be reluctant to receive any sort of help, but I had to try. "Eine, my needy older sister. Her healing magic isn't particularly great though. We're trained assassins; we shouldn't be so easily wounded."

It was a relief that, despite the hardships of being alone, there was a friend she could turn to. "That's good," I said through a smile as I brought a leg up. "So long as you get a bit of medical attention and rest, you'll be fine," I reassured her as I placed both hands on Kleine's arrow in my thigh and struggled to snap it. Although silver arrows weren't as dangerous as Parthia's, it was common knowledge not to remove it before reaching a healer. Even so, it would be excruciating if I aggravated it en route.

She made to sit up, and her breathing became more strained. She took a few deep breaths before she was able to pull a face of scorn. "You'll regret this. Once I get my full strength back, I'll be back for Marth's life and succeed."

"I don't doubt you'll try," I agreed. The arrow gave way and with a final twist it broke into two with a small snap. I tossed the loose end to one side now that it served no purpose. It was a waste of an arrow, really.

So long as she had the will to survive, we would surely meet again. That alone was more than enough for me. At least for now, I could have some closure knowing that I hadn't entirely failed my younger sister. Next time we would surely be enemies again, but she wasn't lost to me. That was infinitely better than the endless wondering I had subjected myself to all these years. She still hadn't fully accepted my version of events, I couldn't blame her for that, but perhaps she just needed time to accept it.

Now that I had finally found her after years of thinking the worst, I knew that she had been getting along just fine. In a way, she got her wish of slipping out of aristocracy.

I slowly got onto my feet, satisfied to leave matters there for now. "Until next time, Kleine."

For the first time in our entire time together, she gave a wry smile. It was twisted awkwardly, but it suited her. "I'll make sure to find you first and return the favour."

Although I was mildly perturbed to have an assassin on my tail, I sincerely hoped that we could talk like this again. I couldn't apologise enough for not being there when the soothsires took her away, but at least she knew now I was there for her. She knew where to find me, when all this time she had no idea where she had originally come from. Had she wondered about her past just as much as I had wondered about where she had gone? I wanted nothing more than her to consider me as her brother, but had too much time elapsed for her to fully comprehend it?

We would be prepared when we next crossed paths.

* * *

When Katarina joined our campaign, people already knew who she was. A handful knew that she was formerly part of the Seventh Platoon of the Aritian Army, but everyone knew of her involvement with the very assassins that had tried to take Prince Marth's head.

Katarina had joined knowing this stigma, and she didn't force people to forgive her. She would never have enlisted if it wasn't for Chris.

She seemed to tolerate having little to no rations, and she did a good job to ignore the scathing comments that were rarely hushed whenever she came into the room. I had truly seen everything when some of the worst things said had come from the usually accommodating Princess Shiida. The insult of Katarina's presence had been a lot to take in, but Prince Marth's fiancée had more right than anyone to be angry.

Even though the army moved each night and arrangements for food and shelter differed from place to place, Katarina always went the extra mile to be left alone, set to one side to slink into the shadows and well away from the looks of scorn.

My observations proved to be accurate, for she was quite predictably sat in the corner, with tomes and papers strewn across the table. She knew that no one was going to join her – until now that was.

"Sir Jeorge?" she exclaimed in absolute horror, and she hastily made to gather her books. Her chair shrieked across the stone in her frenzy. "Sorry, I'll be right out your way."

I cracked a small smile as I pulled up the chair opposite her. "Don't worry, it's you I wanted to speak to anyway."

Katarina continued to stack her books in a tower, and I had to wonder whether she had heard me at all. She ran both hands over the papers strewn across the table and started to bring them together. It was only as she furrowed her eyebrows that I realised that it had just taken her a while to register what I meant. "Oh, right."

I cast an eye over the paperwork of magic circles and diagrams that looked strangely like battle tactics. Quite what the two had in common, I can only imagine that she was trying to do two things at once. "I won't take much of your time, so you needn't pack away."

She shook her head. "It's fine." She shuffled her papers together, but she was a lot more meticulous with it now. When Katarina looked up, it was clear that she was finally able to relax somewhat. "Um, what is it that I can help with?"

"I wanted to run something past you. When you were with the assassins, did you know of someone known as Kleine?"

I had wanted to cut the chase to let Katarina know that I wasn't judging her for being part of the assassin's group. I wanted to put all her concerns behind us, so that we could just get down to the real reason why I needed her in particular. Perhaps I had come as too strong, for she was quick to look away from me.

She gingerly retrieved her seat, perhaps as a way to delay her response. "Before I say anything, do you mind if I ask how you know her?"

That was as good as confirming that she did, but I didn't mind disclosing the truth to her anyway. "She's my sister. I lost her a number of years ago, and we exchanged a few words."

Katarina leaned back in her seat, taking the ultimate measure to avoid eye contact by closing her eyes altogether. "At the snowy mountains towards the Ice Shrine?"

I didn't answer – it seemed she already knew. I had only spoken to Katarina before from when she was training to join the Seventh Platoon. She was quite a charming girl then, eager to learn and push herself to the limit. It was hard to believe the girl opposite me was the same person, with her standoffish demeanour and little expression. Like Kleine, assassins came with a mask – no doubt she was wearing a mask during the entire training regime.

"She died," Katarina finally said as she let her eyes open. "She was heavily wounded at the mountains. I did what I could, but by then it was too late."

A sigh had escaped before I knew it. I had failed Arielle yet again. She seemed full of determination when I had left her at the mountain. Why had it turned out this way?

It was my turn to look away from her. I brought a hand to my mouth to stop myself from saying something I regretted. She should have sought help and recover – that was what I told her to do. Was she so stubborn that she didn't want to accept help from the enemy? Had she removed the arrow prematurely, knowing that she would bleed out? All the time that I had thought she was on the mend, she was already lost to me for the second time.

What had I done?

"I'm so sorry." Katarina's voice had wavered, so choked I knew she was trying desperately hard not to cry. I didn't look, in case I only made things worse (for myself and for her).

I'd never be able to hold her or kiss her forehead again, never embrace her tightly to let her know she's home. Arielle deserved so much more. I had thought I could finally start to be a brother again, and somehow that too slipped through my fingers.

I shook my head, and I took the time to deliberate my answer so I could say it without tripping. "Thanks…for telling me." Although I had to live with knowing I had killed her, it was better that than ignorance. Katarina had spared me by telling the truth instead of making something up on the spot. "You're Eine, aren't you?"

"Yes," she confirmed a little too eagerly. "Did she tell you about me?"

I laughed hollowly as I recalled my conversation with Arielle. It was only a few weeks ago, yet it felt like a lot longer. It was my only memory of her, but it was one that I would make last forever. "She said you were her needy older sister."

"That sounds like something she'd say."

It was only as she said that that I realised it wasn't just about me losing my sister. Arielle was my responsibility, but Kleine was hers. It was important for me to know what had happened, and it had only dawned on me that my curiosity must surely have stirred the grief that Katarina was only just starting to recover from.

"It means a lot to me, that you looked out for her," I said as I finally mustered the courage to look at her. The mage's eyes were watered up and her brows were red from trying not to break down, but I didn't see that as a weakness. I interpreted it as a sign that my sister was truly loved.

She bit down on her lip as she gave a firm nod. "She was full of pride, but that was what exactly what I liked about her. She only died because she refused to be defeated, instead of waiting for me. She didn't even have to wait for long." Katarina sniffed loudly.

I would have given her a tissue of some description, but unfortunately I didn't appear to be armed with any such item. Apparently I wasn't armed with words of reassurance either. I was sitting before her, but at the same time I was somewhere else, somewhere deep in my mind. I wanted to forgive myself, but it didn't change the fact Arielle was dead because of me.

I saw, but didn't really see, Katarina reach out a hand. It slithered on the table, slowly at first, then taking my own. Her lonely squeeze brought me back to cold, harsh reality. "I think it meant a lot to her as well, that you were able to talk the way you did. She was never one for words and she may have said some things she didn't mean, but you gave her the one bit of happiness that every assassin wished for: knowing that she was missed."

There was so much sincerity in Katarina's words it was impossible to deny that she firmly believed in every word. I found myself nodding, knowing that she had, at least partially, lifted some of my burden of guilt. I may have tightened my grip on Katarina.

I could have done more for Arielle if I was given the chance, but fate had decided it wasn't meant to be. In the end, I could only imagine how much our fleeting encounter meant to Arielle.

Although we were united in our loss, we both held a part of Kleine's life. She never liked to be alone when she was younger, and over the course of her life, she never was. Surely she must have known that much at least.

At long last, I finally mustered the courage to move my other hand away from my mouth and smiled slowly. As important as it was to move on, I wanted to know what I had missed out on. "How did you become Kleine's older sister then?"

Katarina sniffed again, but her eyes lit up at the mere memory. "I can tell you it wasn't easy."

* * *

 **A/N:** This was an idea that I had developed probably about two years ago, so it's a huge relief to finally get it down! The whole idea behind this is something rather bittersweet, and hopefully at least some of that pulls through rather than all grim and angst :)

In case anyone was interested in the theory behind Jeorge and Kleine being siblings, there are a few trivia points I based this story around.

One: the manga by Maki Hakoda summarises Jeorge by saying that he's the _only_ _son_ of Marquess Menidy. This suggests that he has at least two sisters. You'd say just 'son' if he had one sister – the fact it says 'only' implies he had multiple sisters. This source doesn't run parallel with the games, but it's one nonetheless.

Two: Jeorge and Kleine look very similar. There's no two ways about it, and if she came from a rich family anyway, it only ties them closer together.

Three: there's a sniper in FE6 also called Kleine. He also has a younger sister called Clarine, who he dotes on and she admires a great deal. Kleine is also the Jeorge equivalent in the game. Is it coincidence that she is introduced about eight years later and has the same name as him? Maybe, maybe not.

I hope that this story was worth your while though – it went on for a bit longer than I expected! Please let me know your comments as I know that both these characters aren't widely explored.


End file.
